Chamber’s Seymour attends White House summit to help launch national biotechnology initiative

Fresh off the recent announcement from the White House that Oklahoma City was one of nearly two dozen recipients of a large federal grant to grow the region’s bioeconomy, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Executive Vice President Jeff Seymour visited Washington, D.C. to attend an invitation-only biotechnology summit at the White House. The event launched a new initiative designed to ensure America’s place in the world of biotechnology and biomanufacturing.

During the Summit on Biotechnology & Biomanufacturing for the American Bioeconomy, various cabinet agencies announced a wide range of new resources and investments designed to “harness the full potential of biotechnology and biomanufacturing and advance the President’s Executive Order to launch a National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative.”

Seymour said he was thrilled to represent the Chamber and the many partners that are part of the Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Cluster coalition during this important event, which he said, will lead to the further strengthening of our nation’s bioeconomy and help solidify Oklahoma’s role in this potentially transformative national initiative.

The summit was led by Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council; Alondra Nelson, acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and Jake Sullivan, assistant to the president for national security affairs.

“With the awarding of the EDA grant earlier this month, and now the invitation to attend this high-level summit along with various leaders from federal agencies, Congress, industry and academia, it clearly shows what great strides we have made in building momentum for Oklahoma City’s bio sector as well as continuing our ascent on the national stage of becoming a bioscience and biotechnology leader,” Seymour said.

According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the President’s National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative will drive advances in biomanufacturing that substitute fragile supply chains from abroad with strong chains at home, improve food and energy security, drive agricultural innovation while mitigating the impacts of climate change, and help people live longer and healthier lives through advances in medicine.

On September 2, the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded the Oklahoma Biotechnology Innovation Cluster (OBIC) Initiative a $35 million grant as part of the EDA’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge competition. The OBIC coalition is supported by more than 40 partners across academia, tribal nations, government, industry, community, investors and other key stakeholders in the continued development of the state’s burgeoning biotechnology cluster.

The grant will fund six core investment projects:

• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center for Therapeutic – Translational Research Labs: development of 10 translational research labs dedicated to drug discovery within the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center.
• Oklahoma Biotech Startup Program – supportive programming to build a vibrant regional biotech startup pipeline led by the University of Oklahoma.
• The University of Oklahoma Biotech Core Facility – a new facility with state-of-the-art high-throughput, advanced bioprocessing equipment and services for instructors and researchers at OU, local nonprofit organizations like OMRF, and private companies like Wheeler Bio.
• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center Early Phase Clinical Trial Network – an initiative to double the size of the existing clinical trial program at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, commensurate with the demand for Phase I trials created through accompanying translational science investments and industry growth.
• Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Center – a new program housed in the Oklahoma City Innovation District to meet the growing demand for skilled labor in the OBIC, which will enable the formation of inclusive, non-degreed career pathways into high-wage jobs.
• Oklahoma Bioscience Cluster Initiative – an initiative to lead regular convenings of industry leadership, conduct needs assessments, encourage regional connectivity and spur policy advocacy.

The OBIC is spearheaded by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber alongside primary partners, the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City Innovation District, and with industry leadership from Echo Investment Capital.